A Los Angeles Hotel with a Theatrical Flair: The Regent Hotel
The Regent Hotel
The Regent Los Angeles Hotel is the place to be seen for a night on the town, and if you want to have dinner in Los Angeles proper, make sure it’s in this iconic hotel for its food and wine. The building was originally a five star hotel named “The Fairmont,” but it was completely remodeled in its current form in 1939, with an art deco façade featuring fountains, columns, and a large sculpture of an angel on its roof.
The hotel was built in 1929, and it closed its doors a year later due to the Great Depression. However, in 1937, Hollywood starlets made a deal with hotel owner Sam Rosen to allow them to stay on the property, which is the same location of the iconic Sunset Tower at Cahuenga Pass in Los Angeles. The deal allowed the stars to use the hotel for events, make films, and even have special suites for the stars. The stars would only stop at the hotel during the day. It was the very first time that Hollywood stars were given exclusive control of a hotel and used the room keys themselves—an unusual event in Hollywood—making the Regent Hotel what is known as “the first hotel with an actual star.”
It was at the Regent Hotel where the Hollywood legend of Errol Flynn, George Clooney, and Julia Roberts held their very first meeting. Hollywood legend has it that George and Errol both tried to join the party, but Julia Roberts wanted to be alone, while George just wanted to talk to Julia on her balcony. Julia, in a rare display of assertiveness, said that Errol should go, he was the man, while George should stay and have the conversation.
A few days later, she became a guest of the hotel again, this time to receive a gift from George—a white Rolls Royce—and Errol invited Julia and her to dinner.
The Regent Hotel was even the setting for the Oscars ceremony in 1951. In the same year, the American Film Theatre was held in the hotel, which was attended only by the top stars of Hollywood and all the top directors.
The Reg